Filmed on Silent Standard 8mm film by former British civil service officer, Ian Urquhart in Baram District, 4th Division, Sarawak, Malaysia, 1954-1965. Restored and digitised at 24fps. Ian's annotations have been transcribed in their original form. Known acronyms are described. See below for more information about Ian Urquhart.

I took upriver with me T.K Hussein (Malay). T.R. Enteri (an iban from a flat downriver area) and T.K. Tama Udeng Sagang (Kenyan). We turned left from the Baram River into the Patah River, where the journey began. During the first part of the journey Bunty developed Asian ‘flu and I did so in the latter part.

In the Patah, dragging and pulling the boat up the Balavan alias Giran Rapids in fairly low water. Plump bellied Kayan Penghulu Jok Ngau helping to pull the boat. My cook Hussein (Malay) pops up from behind the boat's roof. It was too dark to take cine of our arrival at Long Daloh. It rained hard during the night. Next day set off on a fairly high river down the Patah. Bunty is covered with kajangs to keep the water off her. I was standing in the boat for some of the photos hence the unsteadiness of some of them as the boat was rocked by the waves. Note the felled areas out of focus ready for planting dry hill padi. Note end of calm water as we approach the Giran/Balavan Rapids. The rocks you can see give an idea of the sharpness of the rocks you can't see.

We entered the Baram and travelled upstream and I photographed the approach to the Fort at Long Akah, in which we spent the night. The next day we started going up the Akah River in fairly high water and the crew had to resort to helping the outboard by polling the boat, which often had to be pulled into the side and the passengers had to walk over the rocks, while the crews pulled and dragged the boats. Inexperts like Penghulu Enteri, Bunty and I crawl over the boulders on the riverbank, hoping we won't slip in the river. The locals step lightly on rocks (often sharp) hidden under the fast flowing water.

In due course we got back into our boat. A rock appears ahead of us midstream. Our boat decides to pull into the bank, while the boat in front is just failing to reach the smooth water ahead and comes to a standstill with a wave steadily coming over into it and then the boat starts going backwards, while the man at the back is bailing out hard - a dangerous situation as it is difficult to keep control of the boat. At this point my film ended!

We spent the night at Long Tebangan (Penghulu Jok Ngau’s house) and at sunset Bunty went down to the river and washed and faced the problem of preventing the soap from floating downstream. She had put on a brand new batik sarong and it was only after she had entered the water that she realised, to her confusion, that the unmelted wax on it was preventing the air inside the sarong from escaping, hence it ballooned up uncontrollably. Kayan boys swimming downstream. Ian bathes.

We continue up the Akah. During the night the water level has fallen and we have to switch to several smaller and open boats. At Lio Sawah Bunty steps daintily over the rocks. Olga No. 2 [Ian’s dog] exercising. Bunty watching the boats in The elah Rapids. A log wedged high over the river during some flood water. Poling in quiet waters. The boat just manages to squeeze under a fallen tree (imagine the difficulties if the water had been at a different level). Bunty goes up a log at Long Patok in the Leiiang River and climbs a rock to view the very anciently carved sculpture on it. Note the tree ferns, also found in NZ, but not found between those points!

Arrival at the Kelabit longhouse at Long Datih. The school band led by Lissah Arab. By now Bunty has a high temperature due to the Asian ‘flu. At end of our first over land walk, a tired and sick Bunty collapses into a ‘sulap’ (a temporary shelter made of local materials), where our bedding has been put down amongst that of our Kelabit porters and our Malay cook Hussein. Bunty dealing with her ‘flu by drinking gin out of a Players cigarette tin.

Next morning we started the steep climb to the watershed above Long Sait and between the Tama Abu Range and Murud Kechil Mountain. Bunty and Penghulu Enteri reached the top together. Ian removing and slaughtering leeches trapped in his sock tops rolled over and over down to his ankles. Bunty looking for leeches on Olga. Lighter skinned nomadic Jungle Penans and more sun-tanned Kelabits, who are our porters. View over the Selungoh Valley. We then went steeply down to the Selungoh River to find only a few Kenyah porters there, because they had had to leave their boats further down river due to low water. Ian paying off the previous porters. We had to walk down the Selungoh River till we reached our boats. View back to Murud Kechil Mountain. We entered the Baram and reached Rumah Kenyah Nyamok. Walking along the plank walk between the longhouse and the riverbank. Going down the Kau rapid. Vew of Batu Tujoh (limestone peaks?). Group photography on leaving Long Apu with cook Hussein, Penghulu Enteri and T.K. Hussein. 

Stepping down the notched log to the riverbank. Some slight inebriation in the long boat, after longhouse hospitality, with Penghulu Tama Udeng left, Penghulu Enteri right. T.K. Hussein and T.K. Aban Manah Dapat. A waterfall into the Baram. The rice barns then the longhouse of Long Laput ( at that time with 84 doors). Note how some of the roofing is traditional and some of corrugated iron. View of Mulu mountain in the clear air after a storm.